Refrigerator-car-door-operating mechanism



Aug. 23,. 1927. 1,640,213

J. F. OCO NNOR REFRIGERATOR CAR booR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 23. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 44' 22 I at! 14 wxmrazz'ifmr Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

lijbllTED STATES PATENT vOFFICE.

JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO \V. H. MINER, INC, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

REFRIGERATOR-CAR-IDOOROPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed November 23, 1925.

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerator car door operating mechanisms.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient arrangement of door operating mechanism, especially adapted for refrigerator cars, for forcing the doors to tightly closed position and for holding the same closed, and which will also be effective in starting the door opening operation.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the character described, especially designed for operating doors of the swinging type, including a rotary operating shaft having an offset portion functioning as a door operating crank arm in conjunction with a transmitting member pivotally connected to the crank arm intermediate its ends, said member having one end movably secured to the door and having its other end provided with a portion adapted to coact with a fixed keeper secured to the door frame.

Other objects and advantages of the invention w ll more fully and clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a refrigerator car, showi 9; my improvements in connection there-- v. th. Figure 2 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional view, partly broken away, corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Figure 1. P ure 3 is a horizontal, sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a horizontal, sectional view through one of the end portions of the operating shafttaken along, the lower edge of the rigl'it hand door, substantially on the line 4 1 of Figure 2. And Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of the bearing bracket taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure In said drawing, the car is shown as provided with a door frame and two pivoted doors 11 and 12, having meeting beveled edges in the usual manner. As is customary in refrigerator cars, insulation or packing is employed between the meeting edges of the doors themselves and aroundthe sides and top. The doors 11 and 12 are mounted to swing about vertical axes, being supported by suitable hinges 13.

As shown, the improved door operating mechanism comprises, broadly, an operating Serial No. 70,752.

shaft A provided with two end castings BB, and an operating handle C; upper and lower bearing brackets DD; transmitting elements EE; and upper and lower keepers FF.

The operating shaft A preferably is in the form of a flat bar of rectangular cross section, having the handle or lever C pivoted thereto by a pin 20. The castings B are disposed respectively at the upper and lower ends of the shaft A. Each of the end castings B, as shown, is preferably in the form of a crank having a cylindrical operating portion 21 aligned with the axis of the operating shaft, and an offset cylindrical end portion of crank arm 22. Each casting B is formed with a. head 23 at the inner end of the journal portion 21, which is vertically slotted and indicated at 24 for the reception of the corresponding end of the shaft A, to which it is fixed by rivets 25 or any other suitable securing means.

The bearing bracket-s D-D, which are of like construction, are. respectively mounted at the upper and lower ends of the door 11 adjacent the free edge thereof. Each of the brackets D comprises an inner plate 26 provided'with a half bearing seat 27, and cooperating with said inner member 26 is an outer plate 28 provided with a half bearing 129, the two members together providing a journal opening for the journal section 21, the plates 26 and 28 being secured to the door by bolts 29 or other suitable means.

The transmitting members EE also are of like construction, one of the same being associated with each of the end members B-B of the shaft A. Each transmitting member is in the form of an elongated link or lever 30, provided with a slightly wider portion 31 adjacent one end which has a journal opening 32 for the pivotal reception of the cylindrical crank pin 22. The outer end 33 of the transmitting member is provided with a cylindrical pin 34 on its outer face for co-operation with the related keeper F, as hereinafter more particularly described. The opposite end portion 35 of the transmitting member 30 is also provided with bosses 36 on its opposite sides which are movably connected in a housing 37 mounted upon the door. Each housing 37 is preferably of integral construction and is secured o each edge of the door a slight distance outwardly of the adjacent bearing bracket D by means of bolts 38 or other suitable securing means. The housing is provided with a slot 39 extending longitudinally therethrough to permit the passage of the transmitting member 30, the upper and lower walls of the housing above and below the slot 39 being provided with channels 40 which terminate at a point approximately "ietween the ends of the housing to provide offsets, as indicated at. 41, so that while free sliding. movement of the member 31 is permitted in the housing within predetermined limits,..the outward movement of the member is arrested when the bosses36 come into engagement with theends ofthe channels as clearly shown inFigures 4 and 5. The slot 39 diverges. outwardly as inclicated at 42 to permit the required. swinging movements of the member 30 and the face of the door member cut out as indicated at 43 to permit said swinging movements as will be appreciated.

The upper and-lower keepers F-F which are mountedupon the lintel and threshold of the door frame, are of substantially similar COIlStT11CtlO11,.21Ch including vertically disposed flange-like portions 44 by which the keeper isbolted to the car. Each keeper is provided at one side with arecess 45, which extends substantially parallel to the face of the door frame through the major portion. of its length, said slot or recess openingoutwardly at a relati jely sharp angle,

indicated at 46, being thereby adapted for the reception of the pin 34 upon the transmitting member 30.

The flange portion 44 of thelower keeper F is extended to the left, as shown in Figure 1, beyond the free edge of the door 12, and.

has pivotally mounted thereon a latch member 47, adapted to coact with a plate 48 secured to the door 11 adjacent the lower outer corner thereof.v Ihe latch 47 serves toretain the door. 11 in position when closed. The handle C is adapted to be locked. as shown in F gure 1. by any suitable locking device, as indicated at 49.

In operation, my improved, mechanism works as follows, assuming the doors to be in closed position, as indicated in Figure 3,

and that it is desired to open the door: With the doors closed, the pin 34 upon the transmitting member 30 is disposed in the slot 45 of the keeper, and the handle C is secured to the door 12. When it is de sired to open the door, the handle C is disenthe crank moving toward the left deeper into the slot 45 of the keeper, but after the crank pin has traveled a certain distance, the transmitting member is moved thereby in the opposite direction to a point where the pin p].ace-that is, the pin 34 on the transmitting member 30 is movedinto the entrance 46 of the slot 45 and the handle C swung in a direction the reverse to that described during the opening movement, the initial movement of the crank causing a longitudinal movement of the transmitting member. 30 and movement of. the pin longitudinally within the slot 45, subsequent rotation of the crank portion causing complete closing movement of the door.

By the above described arrangement, it will be noted that at the. beginning of the door opening operation and at the end of the door closing operation, the direction of movement of the actuating force is mainly transverse of the transmitting member 30, while at the beginning of the .door closing operation, and at the end of the door opening operation, the movement of the crank is such thatthe movement of the transmitting member 30 is mainly longitudinal with re-- spectathereto and-with respect to the slot, thereby facilitating the engagement and disengagement of the pins 34 ofthetransmitting members with the related keepers F-F. i Vhile I. have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out nay-invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a door operating mechanism, the combination witha'member having a door opening and a pivoted door; of keeper means fixed to the door frame adjacent the door opening, said keeper means being provided with recesses extending substantially parallel. to the face of the door frame and having angular entrances thereto; of elongated transmitting elements pivotally and slidably mounted on said door, and having actuating means upon theirfree ends adapted to engage in the recesses, in said keepers, and meanson said door for1 imparting longitudinal and lateral swinging movements to said transmitting members to effect opening and closing movement of said door.

2. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a member having a door opening and apivoted door; of a rotatable shaft mounted on said doorandprovided with a crank portion; transmitting means movablymounted upon said'door and having a pivotal connection intermediate its end portions with said crank, said transmitting means at one side of said pivotal connection being movably connected to said door, and being provided with elements at the other side of said pivotal connection adapted for engagement with keeper means secured to the door frame to effect opening and closing movements of said door upon rotation of said shaft.

3. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a member having a door opening and a pivoted door; of a shaft rotatably mounted on said door and having an offset end portion projecting beyond the edge of said door; keeper means fixed to the door frame adjacent the edge of said door and having a longitudinally extending recess disposed substantially parallel to the face of said f ame, and an angular entrance tosaid recess; and means for transmitting the movement of said crank to said keeper for effecting opening and closing movements of said door, said means being arranged to traverse said keeper longitudinally a greater distance at the inception of the door closing operation and at the finish of the door opening operation than during the remaining movement of said means, said latter movement being mainly lateral with reference to said first mentioned movement of said means and to the longitudinally extending keeper recess.

a. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a member having a door opening and a pivoted door; of keepers fixed to the door frame adjacent the door opening; a rotatable shaft mounted on said door and having offset crank portions; transmitting members pivotally connected to the offset actuating portions of said shaft, said transmitting members each being provided with elements at one side of said offset portions adapted to coact with said keepers, and each of said transmitting elements having angularly projecting bosses upon the end thereof at the opposite side of said actuating portion; and housings on said door, each provided with a. passage to permit sliding and swinging movements of the related transmit= ting member with respect to said housing, said housing being provided With offsets adapted for engagement with said bosses to limit the outward movement of said transmitting members.

5. In a door operating mechanism, the combination With a member having a door opening and a pivoted door; of a shaft rotatably mounted on said door and having an off-set crank portion at one end; keeper elements fixed to the door frame and includ ing means providing a longitudnally disposed recess extending substantially parallel vith the face of said frame; and an elongated link having one end portion slidably and pivotally connected to said door adjacent its free edge, said link being pivotally connected intermediate its ends with said crank portion, and said link having adjacent its free end an actuating portion engageable with the recess in said keeper.

6. In a door operating mechanism, the combinationwith a member having a door opening and a pivoted door; of a shaft rotatably mounted on said door and having an off-set crank portion; a keeper fixed to the door frame adjacent the edge of said door and having means providing a longitudinal- 1y extending recess disposed substantially parallel to the face of said frame; and means for transmitting the movement of said crank to said keeper for effecting opening and closing movements of said door, said means being arranged to traverse said keeper longitudinally a greater distance at the inception of the door closing operation and at the finish of'the door opening operation than during the remaining movement of said means, said latter movement being princi pally in a lateral direction with reference to said first mentioned movement of said ieans and to the longitudinally eXtend- JOHN F. OCONNOR. 

